This seems to be happening a lot lately, doesn’t it? Someone we love, or in this case, someone we want to continue loving because we’ve become used to the idea of them as a hero, starts to muddy the water with irrational behavior. Well, irrational in our eyes at least.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you’ve never made 20 million dollars a year to play baseball? Yeah, well, me neither. There are only a handful of people in the world who have actually, and one of them is Derek Jeter.
If Number 2 has been reading the deluge of media surrounding him and his contract negotiations lately, then he’s probably aware of the negative undertones found in all of them. He probably knows that everyone thinks him holding out for a couple million more is bonkers considering the amount of money already being thrown at him by the most prolific franchise in the sport— in the face of his lack-luster 2010 campaign, no less. And, he probably knows that since most of the population is reeling from the effects of an imploded economy, this bickering over how many cherries should be on an already ridiculously delicious cake is just plain irritating.
However, as a player, I know you have to fight for what you can get and apologize to no one for getting it. The window of opportunity in this game is open for only so long, and when it shuts, it shuts forever. For goodness sakes, most of the articles involving Jeter speak of him, at age 36 mind you, like he’s an old dog who can’t hunt anymore. If you know you’re going to be out of work at 40, wouldn’t you be fighting for every dollar you could get?
The tragedy in this publically mitigated process is there are only so many pure ball players left in the sport. You know what I mean. In game ravaged by steroid accusations, drug issues, affairs, and just plain stupidity, Jeter is a man who has become the face of not just the Yankees, but baseball. He’s as close to a real life Captain America as it gets; a poster child for class, and that’s why he can’t be evaluated purely by the numbers he is (or isn’t) currently producing. He is his own franchise now, and it’s one people want. However, this icon status, which is Jeter’s best friend in this process, also happens to be his worst enemy.
There are only so many athletes that will reach the level of legacy like he has, and that term is a very important one for players to understand, both in terms of what it means financially and idealistically. What I mean to say is, to be compensated for your talent in your window of opportunity is important, but money is only one component of a player’s lifetime achievement. To be revered is another, and make no mistake, that is what you play for when you’re at his level, and it is a currency that will make your life richer and more fulfilling than money ever will. In my opinion, it’s a mistake to lose such a rare thing for the sake of a few more dollars.
No one ever wants to talk about end of life care, and no player ever wants to wrap their head around end of career care. It’s not a happy subject, but it is an inevitable one. Coming to terms with it is important not just for us but for those who care about us. I think, if I was Jeter, which I can assure you in so many ways I am not and will never be, I would look hard at what I mean to the people I’ve become an icon too. It would be a real tragedy for him to get lumped into a class of thrashing, over paid, out of touch athletes bleeding out a system (even one as loaded as the Yankees) when his career has meant so much to so many as is. This is his first opportunity to show grace to what is ahead of him, and protect what is behind him.
Chances are, however, this little negotiation issue won’t be a blip on the radar when people look back to evaluate all Number 2 has done for the Yankee’s and the game of baseball. But, it could be a serious blip for others not in as lofty a social standing. That’s why this scenario is important to watch unfold. If it does go wrong, and Jeter is tarnished by it, then it’s pretty safe to say it can happen to anyone, and that is no way to go out.